Delivery-protector for vending-machines.



H. S. MILLS.

DELIVERY PROTECTOR FOR VENDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.25. 1912.

1,024, 140. Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

HERBERT S. MILLS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

DELIVERY-PROTECTOR FOR VENDING-IVIACHINES.

Specification of Letters `Patent.

Patented Apr. 23,

Application filed January 25, 1912. Serial No. 673,342.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. MILLS, a

Y citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement inDelivery- Protectors for Vending-lVIachines, of which the following is aspecification.

In any vending machine wherein thearticle to be vended is of a kindadapted to be stacked in a magazinein the casingto be delivered bypushing it out from underneath the stack, and wherein the delivery ismade through an opening in the casing unprovided with suitableprotection, the machine is liable to be robbedas by inserting a wire orother suitable instrument ythrough the delivery-opening. This isparticularly the case where the opening is required to lead straightwayfrom the base of the stack, to permit articles of more or less flimsycharacter to be pushed through it, such as folded paper drinking-cups,envelops, and the like, which are more usually pushed, by operating themachine, only partway through the delivery-opening and require thepurchaser to grasp the protruding end of the article and pull it out ofthe machine.

The object of my invention is to provide in the path of delivery aprotecting device which shall not interfere with the legitimateoperation of such a machine, but which will elfect-ually prevent itsbeing robbed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken View in sectional sideelevation of a vending machine equipped with my improved protector, andshowing only so much of such a machine as is required for understandingmy improvement, thesection being taken on line 1, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is asection on line 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the protector, andFig. 4 is a perspective view of a shield-detail thereof.

The detector, in the preferred detail-construction thereof illustrated,comprises a flat metal bar 5 formed with ears 6 on the ends; in the baris provided a series of cams formed of parallel inclined slots 7extending from the edge of the bar constituting its inner edge, when inthe operative position hereinafter described, short of its oppositeedge. In the ears is supported, near its ends, a hanger-rod or shaft 8,which need not be rotary but is lengthwise shiftable in its bearingsunder the control of a spring 9 confined about it against the inner faceof one of the ears by a pin 10 on the rod. Between another pin 101 onthe rod and the opposite ear are confined, against undue shifting, aseries of shields 11, each being formed with a pair of eyes 111 at whichit is loosely hung on the rod, and, between the eyes, with a tongue 12to engage with an inclined slot 7 and bent to project slightly in aforward direction toward its end.

To adapt the protector to be rigidly fastened in its operative positiont-o the front wall 13 of a vending machine 14, it is provided with anangle-section 51 through which to screw it to the inner face of the wallin position to cause the shields 11 to hang in the path to thedelivery-opening 15 of the machine, of which a magazine 16 is showncontaining a stack of articles 17 to be vended, and a push-bar 18 workedthrough an opening 19 in the base of the rear wall of the magazine andoperated by a suitable lever 20.

Vending machines of the kind herein eX- emplified are too well-known torequire a more extensive showing than that illustrated in the drawing,particularly as my improvement is adaptable to all such machines.

IlVith each opera-tion of the push-bar, it advances the lowermostarticle 17 from the stack through the delivery-opening 15 far enough, asindicated in Fig. 1, to adapt it to be pulled out by hand the rest ofthe way.

In passing the series of shields 11 depending in its pat-h, it raisesthem out of its way to the dotted position represented in Fig. 1,

which it does with immaterial resistance from them, since the tongue oneach registers with and works in a slot 7, permitting it to turn thereinand the shields to be raised on their supporting-rod. In the rise of theshields the cam-action of the slots against the tongues causes the eyes111,

.which abut one against the other, as represented in Fig. 2, to forcethe eye at the inner end of the shield-series against the pin 101 andthus shift the rod 8 against the resistance of the spring 9, the recoilof which returns the rod and shields to normal position when the articlebeing delivered has been withdrawn.

The device prevents robbing the machine, as through the medium of asuitable wire, as follows: If such a wire be bent to adapt it to beinserted behind the entire row of hanging shields, the wire may bemanipulated to raise them out of the delivery path,

as does an article undergoing delivery, as described; but then the wireitself obstructs the delivery, being in the path thereof so that itfrustrates the attempt at robbery. Should the attempt be made by usingany suitable implement to raise any one of the shields, the turning ofits tongue in the respective cam-slot will cause that shield to shiftthe rod S far enough to take the tongue on each remaining shield out ofregistration with its respective actuating slot and thus cause it toregister with the bar to one side of the slot, whereby it and the shieldprovided with it are obstructed against turning, so that the othershield or shields are locked against being raised by an article 17attempted to be withdrawn, because the latter can not pass them.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details ofconstruction thus specifically shown and described, and I do not intendby illustra-ting a single, specific or preferred form to limit myinvention thereto; my intention being in the following claims to claimprotection upon all the novelty there may be in the device as broadly asthe state of the art will permit.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure l by Letters Patent, is-

l. A delivery-protector for vending machines, comprising a support, aseries of abutting independently-swinging shields hanging on saidsupport to be turned, when depending in the path of delivery, out ofsaid path by the delivery-operation, and independently-actuatingcam-operated shifting means for each shield in so turning, whereby theturning of one shield will shiftI and lock against such turning theother or others in the series.

2. A delivery-protector for vending machines, comprising a bar providedwith a series of cams, a support on said bar, and a series of shieldshung to abut and swing 1ndependently on said support, with tongues onthe shields normally registering with said cams to engage therewith, forthe purpose set forth.

3. A delivery-protector for vending machines, comprising a bar providedwith a series of inclined slots, a spring-pressed rod 'shiftablysupported on said bar, and a series of shields hung to abut and swingindependently on said rod and confined thereon to shift with it, withtongues on the shields normally registering with said slots to engagetherewith, for the purpose set forth.

4E. A delivery-protector for vending machines, comprising a bar providedwith a series of inclined slotska longitudinally spring-pressed rodshiftably supported on said bar, and a series of shields having eyes, atwhich they are swingingly and abuttingly hung on said rod, and tonguesnormally regtudinally spring-pressed rod shiftably supported on saidbar, and a series of shields abuttingly hung to swing independently of 7each other on said rod and confined thereon to shift with it, andtongues on the shields normally registering with said slots to engagetherewith, for the purpose set forth.

HERBERT S. MILLS.

In presence of A. U. TI-IORIEN, R. A. SGHAEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

` istering wit-h said slots to engage therewith,

